End-gate fastener.



PATENTED JULY 2, 1907;

.No.'s59,141. y

Y L. H. SPRINGER.

END GATE 'PASTENB R. PLI oN HL 2m .M2 f w UNITED STATES LEVI H.SPRINGER, OF MAPLE CITY, KANSAS.

END-GATE FASTENER.

Speeication of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1907;

Application filed October l5, 1906.. Serial No. 339,053. y

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, LEVI H. SPRINGER, a citizenof the United States,residing at Maple City, in the county oi Cowley and State of Kansas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in End-Gate Fasteners,of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists of an improved form of end gate for wagons, andresides mainly in the provision oi simple and novel locking means forsecuring the end gate to the wagon body.

The invention also resides in novel details of construction, which willappear more fully hereinafter, and which will be finally claimed.

For a full description oi the invention and theV merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an end gate embodying theinvention applied to a wagon body. Fig. 2- is a top plan view partiallybroken away` Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the end gate alone. Fig. 4is a vertical sectional view bringing out clearly the engaging action ofthe catch on the end gate with the locking levers. Fig. 5 is afragmentary perspective view of an end portion of one side of the wagonbody, showing the members engaged by the locking extensions.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Specifically describing the invention, the numeral 1 designates the bodyof a wagon, the latter being of any conventional type. The end gate 2may be mounted at the rear or front end of the wagon, as desired and thelocking mechanism for securing the end gate is mounted thereon.

The locking mechanism consists of two locking levers 3, the adjacent endportions of which are pivotally connected at 4 and the outer or oppositeend portions of which are pivotally and -slidingly connected with theouter ends of the gate 2, by means of pivot pins 5, which pass throughslots 6 formed in said outer ends oi the levers 3. The outer end of eachlever is formed with locking extensions 7 adapted to coperate with theopposite sides of the wagon body to lock the end gate thereto, and saidextensions are adapted to enga-ge at the outer extremities thereof inrecesses 8, which may be formed either in the sides of the wagon body,as shown atone side of Fig. 2, or said recesses 8 may be formed in acleat 9, shown at the other sideof Fig. 2. The latter construction ispreferred, in that the side of the wagon body is not weakened by theforming of the recesses 8. The end gate when in position on the wagonbody is adapted to abut at its inner side, and at opposite ends with thecleat 9 above mentioned, and a second cleat 10, which is applied to theside of the wagon body opposite that to which the cleat 9 is secured.The recesses may be reinforced if desired by metal plates 11, attachedto` the cleat 9 in one instance, and to the opposite side of the wagonbody in the other instance.

1t will be understood that in the actual embodiment of the inventionboth of the sides of the body 1 will be provided with the recesses S, orwill be provided with cleats such as shown at 9, either of whichconstructions may be utilized in the contemplation of the invention.

When the end gate 2 is lockedy in position on the Wagon body 1, thelocking levers 3 are in approximately longitudinal alinement, with theextensions '7 coperating with the wagon body in the manner hereinbeforedescribed. The levers are held positively in such cooperation by, meansof a catch l2, which issecured to the end gate 2 intermediate of itsends, and which is adapted to engage over the upper edge portion of oneof the levers 3 to accomplish the desired result. The lower end of thecatch 12 may be formed with an outstanding handle 13.

The specific connection between the locking levers 3 and the end gateinclude plates 14 secured to the outer side of the end gate at the endsthereof, and formed at the upper extremities with extensions 15, whichare bent outwardly to overlap the levers 3 at the outer ends of thelatter. The pivot pins 5 pass through the lower ends of the extensions15, the slots 6, and the plates lli.

To release the end gate it is only necessary to pull outwardly upon ahandle 16 provided at the inner end of one of the levers 3 to therebydisengage the catch 12 from said levers and permit of upward movement ofthe handle 16. The upward movement of the handle 16 causes pivotalmovement of the levers 3 as well as a certain amount of sliding movementof said levers to remove the extensions 7 from the recesses 8, and theend gate may then be displaced from the wagon body. The operation abovedescribed is reversed in attaching the end gate to the wagon body.

locking levers mounted on the outer side of the end gate and pivotallyconnected at adjacent ends, said locking levers being provided withslots between the ends thereof and being formed with locking extensionsat the outer ends to coperate with the sides of the wagon body, a catcheoperating with the inner end of the Wagon body, a catch levers to holdthe same in cooperation with the wagon body, plates applied to the outersides of the end gate and formed with vextensions overlapping thelocking levers 10 at the outer ends of the latter, and pivot pinspassing through the extensions of the plates, the slots of the lockinglevers, and the plates, for connecting the locking levers by a pin andslot connection with the end gate.

ln testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence 0f two Witnesses.

LEVI H. SPRINGER. [L. S.]

